Cross carrier beam with anti-vibration

ABSTRACT

A cross carrier beam for mounting between support members includes a beam having at each of its end an end bracket, having an attachment member for attaching the cross carrier beam to the support members, and a vibration isolation member mounted between each of the attachment members of the end bracket and the support member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In building construction it is well known construct so called false orhollow walls in buildings. Such hollow walls comprise a frame withstuds, wooden beams or other support members and covering elements, e.g.plaster plates covering the outside of the frame and constituting thewall surface. Commonly, pipes and other conduits extend through thehollow walls Water pipes or other conduits typically extend between thestuds or beams of a wall and are fixed to cross carrier beams which areattached with their opposite ends to the studs or beams of the wall.

From Hubbard Enterprises a cross carrier beam is known under the tradename Holdrite® Stout Bracket™. This cross carrier beam is telescopicallyadjustable in length to be attached with its opposite ends to the studsof a wall. The pipes or conduits are attached to the cross carrier beamby means of pipe clamps which are attached to the cross carrier beam.The pipe clamps have a vibration isolating member that prevents thenoise coming from the pipes to be transferred to the cross carrier andfurther to the wall frame.

Using pipe clamps that are individually provided with a vibrationisolating member to prevent transfer of noise from the pipes into thewall structure is a relatively expensive solution and is in particularinefficient if a plurality of pipes are supported by a cross carrierbeam.

Furthermore, vibration isolating pipe clamps need to be provided withvibration isolating members specifically adapted for a specific pipediameter or a specific cross carrier shape and dimension.

The present invention has for an object to provide a pipe supportingstructure which provides a more efficient use of vibration isolatingmaterial and elements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the invention this object is achieved by across carrier beam to be mounted between support members. The crosscarrier beam comprises a beam member having at each end an end bracket.The end brackets have an attachment member for attaching the crosscarrier beam to the support members. The cross carrier beam furthermorecomprises a vibration isolation member to be mounted between each of theattachment members and the support member.

According to another aspect of the invention the object is achieved by across carrier beam to be mounted between support members, which crosscarrier beam comprises a beam member having at each end an end bracket.The end brackets have an attachment member for attaching the crosscarrier beam to the support members. The cross carrier beam furthermorecomprises a vibration isolation member which is provided between thebeam member and the end bracket.

The cross carrier beams according to the described aspects of theinvention have the advantage that the vibration isolating members in theconstruction are associated with the cross carrier beam instead of withthe individual components that may be mounted against the cross carrierbeam, such as pipe clamps. Thus the pipes supported by the cross carrierbeam are isolated from the frame structure by a minimum of vibrationisolating elements in the structure.

Further details and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description with reference to the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows in perspective an exploded view of a cross carrier beamaccording to a first aspect of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows in a perspective view the cross carrier beam according tothe first aspect of the invention mounted between two studs;

FIG. 3 shows in perspective an exploded view of a cross carrier beamaccording to a second aspect of the invention; and

FIG. 4 shows in a perspective view the cross carrier beam according tothe second aspect of the invention mounted between two studs.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 is illustrated a cross carrier beam 1 according toa first aspect of the invention. The cross carrier beam has a centralbeam member 2, which in the embodiment shown is configured as a channelprofile also referred to as a C-profile. A C-profile has typically abottom 21, two parallel side walls 22 extending perpendicularly from thebottom 21 and two flanges 23 extending towards each other from the sidewalls 22. The flanges 23 define a longitudinal slot 24 between them Inthe slot 24 may be inserted an elongate nut from an attachment assembly,or rod-like element with a hammerhead for attaching other constructionalelements, for example pipe clips. The elongate nut or hammerhead can bealigned with the slot and inserted into the slot 24 thereby passing theflanges 23, after which the nut of hammerhead is rotated such that thenut or hammerhead engages behind the flanges 23. In the bottom may beprovided holes for attaching other constructional elements to, forexample pipe clips.

The cross carrier beam 1 has two end brackets 3 on opposite ends, whichend brackets 3 comprise an attachment plate 31 and an adjustment member32 which extends substantially perpendicular to the attachment plate 31.The adjustment member 32 and the plate 31 are fixedly attached to eachother, preferably by welding. The attachment plate 31 is provided withholes 33 for running through screws, bolts or other suitable fasteningmeans for fastening the end brackets 3 to a stud 5 or another supportmember. The adjustment member 32 is in the embodiment shown a C-profile,but may also be another rod-like element that fits in the hollow beammember 2. The end brackets 3 are mounted to the beam member 2 by slidingthe adjustment member 32 into the open ends of the beam member 2. Thusthe end brackets 3 are telescopically mounted on an end portion of thebeam member 2 such that the length of the cross carrier beam 1 can bevaried and adapted to the distance between the studs 5 or other supportmembers.

A pad 4 made of vibration isolating material, preferably rubber oranother elastomeric material, is provided at the side of the attachmentplate 31 which faces away from the adjustment member 32. Afterinstallation of the cross carrier beam 1 between two studs 5, theisolation pads 4 are each located between a stud 5 and an attachmentplate 31. The vibration isolation pads 4 prevent vibrations and noiseoriginating from water supply pipes or the like, which are fixed to thebeam member 2 to be passed on to the studs 5 and further into thesupport structure.

The pads 4 have through holes in them for passing through screws, boltsor other suitable fastening means to fasten the end brackets 3 to thestuds 5. Preferably vibration isolating washers are arranged under thescrew heads, bolt heads or nuts such that is prevented that noise istransferred from the beam member 2 to the studs via the screw or boltshank.

The isolation pads 4 may be separate components which are positionedbetween the attachment plates 31 and the studs 5 upon installation.Alternatively the isolation pads 4 are attached to the attachment plates31, for instance by means of an adhesive or in the case of a rubberisolation pad 4 by means of vulcanisation.

In FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 is illustrated a cross carrier beam 101 accordingto a second aspect of the invention. The cross carrier beam 101 has acentral beam member 102, which in the embodiment shown is configured asa channel profile also referred to as a C-profile. A C-profile hastypically a bottom 121, two parallel side walls 122 extendingperpendicularly from the bottom 121 and two flanges 123 extendingtowards each other from the side walls 122. The flanges 123 define alongitudinal slot 124 between them In the bottom may be provided holes125 for attaching other constructional elements to, for example pipeclips.

The cross carrier beam 101 has two end brackets 103 on opposite ends,which end brackets 103 comprise an attachment plate 131 and anadjustment member 132 which extends substantially perpendicular to theattachment plate 131. The adjustment member 132 and the plate 131 arefixedly attached to each other, preferably by welding. The attachmentplate 131 is provided with holes 133 for running through screws, boltsor other suitable fastening means for fastening the end brackets 103 toa stud 105 or another support member. The adjustment member 132 is inthe embodiment shown a C-profile, but may also be another rod-likeelement that fits in the hollow beam member 102.

On the outer side of the adjustment members 132 is provided a vibrationisolating sleeve 104. The end brackets 103 are mounted to the beammember 102 by sliding the adjustment member 132 with the isolationsleeve 104 into the open ends of the beam member 102. Thus the endbrackets 103 with the respective vibration isolating sleeves 104 aretelescopically mounted on an end portion of the beam member 102 suchthat the length of the cross carrier beam can be varied and adapted tothe distance between the studs 105 or other support members.

The vibration isolating sleeves 104 are preferably made of rubber oranother elastomeric material. The vibration isolation sleeves 104prevent vibrations and noise originating from water supply pipes or thelike, which are fixed to the beam member 102 to be passed on to thestuds 105 and further into the support structure.

The beam member 2, 102 and the end brackets 3, 103 are preferably madeof metal. The studs 5, 105 may be of metal, but also wooden beams may beused. The cross carrier beams 1, 101 according to the described aspectsof the invention have the advantage that the vibration isolating members4, 104 in the construction are associated with the cross carrier beam 1,101 instead of with the individual components that may be mountedagainst the cross carrier beam 1, 101, such as pipe clamps. Thus thepipes supported by the cross carrier beam 1, 101 are isolated from theframe structure by a minimum of vibration isolating elements 4, 104 inthe structure.

Moreover, the cross carrier beam 101 according to the second aspect ofthe invention has the advantage that no additional vibration isolatingmeans are needed in the construction. As mentioned in the above, withthe isolating pads 4 according to the first aspect of the invention itmight be necessary to use vibration isolating washers or other suitableisolation means to prevent vibrations to travel through the screws,bolts or other attachment means that are used to fix the end brackets 3to the studs 5. With the vibration isolating sleeve 104 according to thesecond aspect of the invention the mentioned additional vibrationisolating means can be omitted.

1. A cross carrier beam to be mounted between support members, the crosscarrier beam comprising a beam member having at each end an end bracket,said end bracket having an attachment member for attaching the crosscarrier beam to the support members, wherein the cross carrier beamfurthermore comprises a vibration isolation member to be mounted betweeneach of the attachment members of the end bracket and the supportmember.
 2. The cross carrier beam according to claim 1, wherein theisolation member is configured as a pad of vibration isolating material,which is arranged on the side of the attachment member facing away fromthe adjustment member.
 3. The cross carrier beam according to claim 2,wherein the vibration isolating pad is fixed to the attachment member byadhesion or vulcanisation.
 4. The cross carrier beam according to claim2, wherein the vibration isolating pad is a loose component which is tobe placed between the attachment member and the support member duringinstallation.
 5. The cross carrier beam according to claim 1, wherein atleast one of said end brackets comprises an adjustment member which isadjustably mounted on an end portion of the beam member for varying thelength of the cross carrier beam between the attachment members.
 6. Thecross carrier beam according to claim 5, wherein the at least oneadjustment member is telescopically guided on the end portion of thebeam member.
 7. The cross carrier beam according to claim 1, wherein theattachment member is a plate with fixing holes, said plate extendingsubstantially perpendicular to the beam member.
 8. A cross carrier beamto be mounted between support members, the cross carrier beam comprisinga beam member having at each end an end bracket, said end bracketshaving an attachment member for attaching the cross carrier beam to thesupport members, wherein the cross carrier beam furthermore comprises avibration isolation member which is provided between the beam member andthe end bracket to prevent transfer of vibrations between the beammember and the end brackets.
 9. The cross carrier beam according toclaim 8, wherein said end brackets comprise an adjustment member whichis telescopically mounted on an end portion of the beam member forvarying the length of the cross carrier beam between the attachmentmembers, wherein the vibration isolating member is arranged on theadjustment member to isolate the end bracket from the beam member. 10.The cross carrier beam according to claim 9, wherein the beam member isa hollow profiled section element, and wherein the adjustment member ofthe end bracket comprises a rod-like element, and wherein the vibrationisolation member is a sleeve of a vibration isolating material, whichengages the outer side of the rod like element and which engages theinner side of the hollow profiled section element.
 11. The cross carrierbeam according to claim 10, wherein the sleeve is attached to the rodlike element and is slideable together with the rod-like element withrespect to the hollow profiled section element.
 12. The cross carrierbeam according to claim 8, wherein the attachment member is a plate withfixing holes, said plate extending substantially perpendicular to thebeam member.